All weapons charges or weapons crimes follow some
standard of intent, though this standard varies. The
most common is "strict liability," meaning that
there is no requirement of intent whatsoever: Merely
being caught by law enforcement with the weapon or
weapons in question under the circumstances
described in the law (possession, concealed, or
open) is a crime in and of itself and can bring
about weapons charges, with almost no possible
defense other than proving the item is not an
illegal weapon or weapons within the law's
definition. Some laws allow the accused a defense to
the charge that the item in question was going to be
used for a specific set of lawful purposes, such as
one's occupation (examples are sets of knives
carried by a line cook en route to his job, or tools
carried by a construction worker or craftsman). In
this case, the burden of proof is often placed on
the accused, requiring them to prove their lawful
intent in court.

Other laws require proof of specific intent to
commit a criminal act by the accused, thereby
placing the burden on the state to produce evidence
that the weapon or weapons was possessed with some
unlawful purpose (such as an attempted homicide,
robbery, or assault). The circumstances under which
law enforcement discover the weapon or weapons often
play a strong role in this.
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